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Online divorce may not be the best solution to divorce issues

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Apr 18, 2014

Online divorce may not be the best solution to divorce issues

Posted By
Louis P. Winner

There are several ways divorce issues can be resolved including litigation,
collaboration and using technology. However, Louisville, Kentucky divorcees
should take extra precaution when settling family law matters. Although
Internet technology may be always readily accessible and sound more convenient,
it may not be the best way to resolve divorce issues.

For instance, dissolving a marriage is not only about knowing the marital
assets but also identifying liabilities. Although a spouse can directly
input the data about mortgage and other payables in a computer, it may
not include other important details, such as where the money is coming
from and how the debt is being paid.

Hidden assets are another issue. Once divorce is filed in court, the judge
freezes the marital assets. Whereas, if one of the spouses know that the
other filed divorce online, that other spouse may consider hiding assets
immediately, which can result in an unfair property division.

Computers are not people; they lack empathy. Financial responsibilities
post-divorce such as child support and alimony require complex calculations
and may require negotiations between the payer and the payee. An attorney
considers different factors, such as lifestyle, income, medical issues
and number of children in computing the amount of child or spousal support.
These considerations may not be found in online divorce tools.

Child custody is another issue that cannot be resolved by typing data and
clicking options online. The interests of the child are at stake and when
custody arrangements are settled through Internet tools, it may not yield
an arrangement tailored to the child's best interests.

Although online divorce tools may help, spouses should always consider
that dissolving a marriage could put many things at risk. A legal professional
can put things in perspective during divorce to avoid any gaffes that
could make the process costly and contentious.

Source: The Huffington Post, "Divorce Is Not a One-Size-Fits-All Business,
So Why Do It Online?," Brendan Lyle, April 8, 2014